Red Raiders repeat as champions

Monday

Feb 25, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 25, 2008 at 1:11 AM

An attempted pass turns into the game-winning goal.

Craig Potter, staff writer

While attempting to make a pass from behind the Greece Thunder net, Fairport’s Ethan Witkop wound up scoring the game-winning goal 1:27 into the second overtime period on Sunday night at the ESL Sports Centre.

The goal by the Red Raider junior lifted Fairport to its second straight Section 5 Class A hockey championship.

“It’s just like one big blurr,” Witkop said after the team did some celebrating in the locker room. “It’s probably the sloppiest goal I’ll ever score, but I’ll take it.

“It came around to me behind the net and I spun around. I was looking for a play out front. I kind of threw it in front of the net. I think it hit someone’s stick or skate and bounced up and found its way in.”

Fairport coach Chris Moretter added, “We’ll take it any way we can get it.”

The Raiders nearly lost it, however, as they let a 3-0 lead slip away.

Fairport scored twice in the first period on goals by Jon-Paul Durso and A.J. VanScott. Cole Bardreau made it 3-0 off a scramble in front of Thunder freshman goalie Parker Bonis.

Greece got back into the game about three minutes later when Brandon Cheeseman scored on a back-handed rebound. Riley Bourbonnais found the net on a short-handed tally as a second swipe at the puck, while skating across the slot, found the mark.

Bourdonnais tied it, 3-3, with 11:13 to play in the third on a breakaway after Bonis stopped a breakaway at the other end of the rink.

Both goalies kept their teams in it, but the Thunder picked up a penalty as the third period ended, and the Raiders began the first overtime period on the power play.

“I think that penalty got them down in the dumps,” said Trevor Mingoia, who assisted on the game-winning goal. “We dominated that whole power play. They didn’t have a chance to get it out.”

But the Raiders were unable to get one past Bonis, who also made a couple of other tough saves to keep the game going. He finished with 20 for the game.

Early in the second overtime period, the Thunder had an open side of the Fairport net but fired wide.

The play went back into the Greece zone where the Raiders were able to end the contest.

“Big battle in the front,” Mingoia said. “I gave it over to Ethan, who lobbed it to the net. I knew we had a chance. It happened to go in, one of the best feelings ever. It’s kind of a poofer, but you do whatever you have to do to win.”

“It’s difficult to accept it the way it is,” said Thunder coach Dan Webb. “The guys worked hard all game long. We came back from the 3-0 deficit to make it interesting and get into overtime with them.

“The puck was in our zone for most of that second overtime, so it was either they eventually were going to get one, or we’d better get the puck out and bear down.”

Moretter added, “Give Greece a lot of credit. They came back the second half of the game. But I’ve got to give my guys credit, too. They maintained their composure. It started getting a little chippy out there. Killing off the two-man disadvantage was huge.
They’ve got a dangerous power play. Killing that off gave us some confidence.

“In the overtime, I think we were a little more aggressive than they were. It takes a lot of heart and desire, and they were not going to be denied, especially the seniors. They wanted it badly. They gave it all they got, and they got it.”

Fairport advances to play the Section 7 representative on Saturday in Plattsburgh in the state quarterfinals.

Craig Potter can be reached at (585) 394-0770, Ext. 351, or at cpotter@mpnewspapers.com